Elk way up high and going higher
Fall River in West Horseshoe Park
Ram, Big Horn Sheep
Badger
Aspens to Alpine in West Horseshoe Park
Here is a link to more photos from the weekend.
I had a great weekend trip up in Rocky Mt Nat'l Park. I left work on Friday at 4pm and was at the Morraine Park campground by 5:15pm. I got my camp site and drove around to see all the sites once again. It reminded me of a quote, "I've come here, like so many evenings before, simply to see what I can see." by David Petersen from the Nearby Faraway. Saturday morning was an early one, 5am and on my way to Sprague Lake to get the photo of Halletts Peak reflecting in it. When I got there I noticed the water wasn't completely calm because the lake was so full it was emptying out the East end so the water was moving. Just about then some elk came into the lake and really stirred things up. It made for a bad reflection photo but it was great to watch the young elk playing around in the water. About 7:30 I went to EndoValley picnic area and parked next to Fall River and took a nap with the sounds of the river putting me to sleep. I woke up again and had a breakfast sandwich next to the water and thought it would be nice to head up Trail Ridge Road and have a cup of coffee up there. I was heading that direction but realized I was so close to Sheep Lakes and I have seen a Big Horn in awhile so I turned left instead of right. Perfect timing. The ranger stopped me and I was the first in line to watch 3 ewes cross the road and head down to Sheep Lakes. They let me through and I went to the parking area where Ranger Don had just started his ranger talk about Big Horn Sheep. Once that was over and everyone left the sheep came out and were visable, so I snapped a few long photos. Then a gentlemen approached Ranger Don and asked him if it was okay for him to use him in his next book on RMNP. He was the well known photographer James Frank. I listen to James and the Ranger talk back and forth as it was very interesting. Then I drove back to where I came from to get some closer photos of the 3 ewes. I was able to do that and just as the sheep were heading out of sight a badger came running across the meadow. This is only the 2nd time I have seen a badger and it was very cool. He was looking for food. He ran right up on 4 deer and one of them was checking him out but he just went about his business. Then he disappeared over a hill. I decided to follow from a distance and not in is direct path. I saw the badger again by it burrow. Then 3 more smaller badger came out and that was awesome. It was so much fun watch him. A lady had mentioned to me while we were taking photos of the badger that some Big Horn Sheep were seen for a couple of days just outside the park. I drove up Trail Ridge Road and went to the place where the lady said the Big Horn Sheep were and she was dead on. This group of 5 had 2 big Rams in it and I don't think I have seen a Ram with that much curl to his horns. It was great. I went to a picnic area and made myself another bagel sandwich for dinner while I watched some elk in the meadow and a Stellar Jay was begging for food. I wren came and sang a short song and flew away. Then I went to the Ranger talk. It was not a ranger giving it, it was "The Trout Doctor" retired CSU professor and trout expert, Robert Behnke and though I'm not a fishermen it was quite interesting because of some of the things we as man do to "make things better" and end up doing more harm than good sometimes. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/us/14fish.html?fta=y It was a great trip.
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